Yanukovych’s defense: attempt to replace lawyers makes trial illegal

Ukrainian photoThe attempts of the authority to replace ‘inconvenient’ advocates in the court on the state treason case of a former president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych make the trial illegal. Vitaly Serdyuk, the advocate of Yanukovych expressed his opinion as 112 Ukraine broadcasted.‘We knew about the preparations of the scenario on our removal from this process by the court and authority as we are inconvenient lawyers. This scenario was used for the first time in Pechersk court when we planned to submit the evidence on the shootings of our citizens in Maidan. Now, such announcement was made to create the preconditions to implement the scenario to replace us with a state suitable advocate’, he said.

‘The statement of the court that it wants to hear Yanukovych is false as the court denies the defense in the questioning of the former president at every court session due to the established procedure. Every session, Yanukovych’s defense submits the demands on his behalf to hold the questioning due to the procedure provided by the legislation but the court desires to reverse the possible testimony of Yanukovych and witnesses of the defense, imposing made-up procedure of the witnesses’ questioning through Skype’, Serdyuk added.As we reported the Obolon District Court of Kyiv calls ex-president of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych for the session on May 3-4 at 10:00 am on the state treason case.

As we reported on April 19, Vladyslav Deviatko, the presiding judge announced the switch to the phase of debating on the state treason case of Yanukovych. The defense refused to participate in the debates and left the court hall and the break until May 3 was announced.The former president found the switch illegal. According to his statement, the court attempts to speed up the consideration of the case as the witness statements ‘can influence the results of the possible early election’.Yanukovych is charged with state treason, assistance in deliberate actions against Ukraine’s state border, sovereignty and territorial integrity and assistance in leading the aggressive war against Ukraine.

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